Nikon D5100 vs Canon Rebel T3i Vs Sony SLT-A57

Seeing as you're looking into beginner choices, you obviously don't have a collection of lenses that would limit your choices. That being said I'd say go ahead with Sony. They haven't been in the market as long as the others, but they've been dashing through the market with milestones year after year.

So go ahead with the Sony, because Sony won't disappoint you with prices, even for their advanced cameras.

Do keep in mind that Sony Alpha accessories may not be as easy to find compared to the other two brands just yet.

While the a57 will cost you almost two megapixels compared to the other choice, it'll give you a lot more features in both the consumer and professional levels. I would go more in depth, but it's up to you to decide which features you prioritise over other features from the other cameras.

Also, if you have an extra 200$ or so, I'd recommend that you go for the Sony a65.

The best price, ease of use, great pictures, good high iso performance, relatively small as for dslr, i was considering t3i and d5100 (it took me almost 3 months to choose ) and i picked d5100. No complains! :)

I would recommend Sony. Yes they are the new kid on the block, yes it doesn't have an optical vf, yes it doesn't shoot as good in low light situations compared to Nikon d5100, and yes less lenses available but with all of these wrongs there is always a solution or good in its features. 

NEW KID: Nothing to lose. Very innovative. Need I say more about this      INNOVATION = others playing catch up in the future

OPTICAL VF: This is a toss up. EVF does allow more shots taken and what you see in the vf is what you get on the picture and also more information. Optical is what your eye actually see. Also save battery. WOW! lol

LOW LIGHT: Well this is a true one. Nikon is great at low light! Sorry I cant debate that one. SOLUTION umm well easy, get a speed light duhhh. Problem solved! Only for very dark areas with no light is when it shows at iso 1600 and up. Iso 1600 is still very nice.

LENSES: Another hard one.Canon and Nikon does have a lot more available. Lets be honest here. I don't know one person or heard of anyone that has 200 lenses! Hmmm you only will get about 15 if that and I do believe Sony can cover that much ground and beyond. Only thing is renting from others or shops will be tough. 

Those are my reasons I would go with Sony. You have to go check the cameras out. I do like Nikon d5100 but the feel is nasty while t3i feels great.  Video is best on Sony. I don't use it much on my a65 only because im a stills "photo" man. I hate when people say best bang for your buck. Well true but it actually does beat out t3i and d5100 in camera pics plus video. GET the SONY! 

The camera that will give you the best picture and video depends on you and your level of experience and what the primary use will be. If you are a beginner, either the nikon or canon will do nicely for still images. Your ability to compose the picture and the quality of your lens will have a greater impact on how good the final photo will be rather than the differences between the features of the nikon or the canon. 

The differences while shooting in video mode are significant. If your are a beginner or new to dslr cameras and/or videography you will want a good auto focus system. I own 4 canon cameras and I like them a lot especially my 7D which also does video. However, I wish the 7D had auto focus during video mode for filming moving subjects. Even though I have many years experience with photography, videography is a different beast. As a newbie in this area it would be nice to have the option of manual or auto focus. From what I can tell, the nikon's auto focus during video is  superior (faster and sharper) to the canon's. I hate to say this because I am locked into the canon brand. But if you're buying your first dslr and don't already have a ton of good lenses for either brand then go with the nikon. I would.

Good luck and enjoy!

Panorama picture, 3D picture, FullHD video with AUTOFOCUS, long-lasting battery, 12 FPS photos, (Water-level) inside, STEADYSHOT INSIDE

Very simple - the Sony A57 is BETTER! It's a close call, though. But if you shoot a lot of video, then it's really the only choice.

Nikon has best image quality and price. Best for general photography.

Sony is the best for fast action shooting and videography.

Canon is a decent compromise between these two.

It is up to you, which features you value the most.

A-57 vs Nikon D5100

The A-57 has:

• Mirrorless Technology • Upto 16000 ISO (25600 with ISO Boost) • In-Built Image Stabilization • 12 FPS Burst Mode • More cross-type focus points • More focus points • Built in focus motor • Faster video autofocus • Larger Viewfinder

There is no question of going for the D5100.

A-57 vs Canon 600D

The A-57 has:

This takes the T3I out of my list too.

The only drawback I see with the A-57 is the EVF but only in extremely low light conditions. I have been using this camera for the past 2 weeks and its fantastic. It beats the D90 (which is approx 20% more expensive) hands down

Another point one needs to rememer is that Canon & Nikon make pathetic entry-level DSLR'sThough their Pro SLR's cannot be reckoned with.

I had the Canon T3i for about two year and over all I like it but there was some things that bother me about it like it's small view finder, poor video and the small burst rate just to name a few. This is not the case with the Sony SLT A57, I fell in love with it the very first day I got mine, can't stop from picking it up and running outside to take some photos of something. 

One of the features that made me select Sony A 57 was its image stabilization. Being an amateur, lot of photos are wasted due to slight hand movement or moving subject. 

Another feature that is pretty useful is 12 fps burst mode that will really help me shoot moving things. As a beginner, I am not much fussy about slight difference in image quality which I agree Nikon is master at. Canon was never a candidate for me

I Own this camera. This is an awesome product. I have used other 2 as well. Its image quality is better than 550D and on par with D5100. A57 has in built steady shot which helps while clicking slow shutter speeds. It is the fasted camera, can shoot at 12fps. Has inbuilt focus motor. Saves on your lens purchases in future. Very good video auto focus lacking in other cameras. 3 years warranty. D5100 can take good photos under low lighting conditions. But practical, no one uses high ISO more than 3200.

Nikon D5100 has a lot of features that are useful for both novice and advance photographers at a very competitive price. it works well with both the manual/semi-auto and automatic modes. photos taken with this camera are great. you wouldn't regret buying this...did i mention the competitive price? buy this at once..happy shooting!!!

Nikon D5100 has great features and quality image. 

Only considering Image Quality i can say Nikon D5100, but considering all rest of functionalities Sony SLT-A57 is the one.

I went to buy any of this three the vendor recommends D5100 as the best for rough use and resistant to bumps or hits

After years of using the basic "point and shot" and then that earlier this year bought a Kodak Z990 (mostly to get used to the size of the device, although obviously the D5100 is much larger and heavier lol) I decided to buy it model after months of what I thought was an endless and insatiable search and comparison of equipment on the web pages that I think about photography pioneers such as DxOMark, DPReview, Snapsort, Sortable and KenRockwell.

Nikon has a large selection of lenses while Sony is much more limited selection. The Nikon D5100 also is more sensitive in low light situations which the Sony SLT Singles Lens Translucent are not quite as good in low light.

I had the D5100 and gave it  to my  daughter. Purchased the Sony a57 and do not regret it.

I got this with the summer value package in a norwegian electronics store...  best money I have  spent so far!

best choice for video and point and shoot. You really cant go wrong with the a57. i would even choose the a37 above the t3i and the D5100. of course, this is my personal opinion, but the video auto focus and 12fps is pretty damn cool.

When choosing a camera, its best to go in and play around with each, to see how you like them. Each camera maker is different, and so each camera has a different feel and feature. Nikon and Canon are the two best DSLR Makers at this point in time, because they have been doing it for so longs. Sony cameras, despite being packed with features, and the Alpha lenses being made by Carl Zeiss, feel plasticy, and The LCD viewfinder is an annoyance. Nikon and canon has similar build quality, and image quality, with both kit lenses being sharp enough for good picture. If your basing you decision on body alone, I would go for the new 650D from canon. Its new digic5 Processor is astounding, and the touch screen is the first on any DSLR. If you Do buy a Body, dont worry about getting a kit, instead buy some lenses, such as a 50mm f1.8(~$100) and then a telephoto, 18-200 (~$500). If Price is too much, go for a second hand kit lens, as they are sharp enough for pictures and videos.

focus peaking is the best.

Body image stabilization is the best.

Low cost Minolta lenes

Electronic viewfinder with zoom for perfect focusing and 100% coverage

nice img quality, water resist, ergonomics...

I'm no expert, but I know my cameras - so here are my thoughts:

I wouldn't buy the Sony, because it is far more expensive than the Canon and Nikon options - plus it has an electronic viewfinder, and while this allows for professional speeds of continuous burst, I think that it is too big a sacrifice considering that anyone who actually requires that shutter speed may as well be buying a more expensive camera.

Both the Canon and Nikon are viable options, personally I prefer Canon but that is personal preference. Both have similar sensor sizes so image quality won't be miles apart. Really it comes down to how you like each camera, go to a shop and try shooting a few shots with each and see how they feel.

One thing I would like to say in defense of Canon is that you can (if financially possible) invest in 'L' lenses and be comfortable that they will still deliver to the cameras maximum potential even if you upgrade your body in the future to either a 7D or 5D. That is why I like Canon - because it can be, if done correctly, the more financially beneficial in the long run.

You also say that you want 'the best' video in your specifications, and so far as I am aware the Canon is still a long way ahead of the opposition, although the gap is narrowing. (Also consider investing a little more money into the Canon T4i/650D if possible as it has autofocus in video mode which can be helpful for beginners.)

A note on battery life, the Nikon does 660 shots, and the Canon does 440 shots on one charge. However, extra batteries are far cheaper on Amazon for the Canon than the Nikon. Something else to consider

But really, you have to give them a go - so before making a choice, go to a shop and try them both - see how they feel for you - not for anyone else - for you.

Hope this helps you decide on a camera.

hi i just bought Nikon D5100, its very wonderfull, and easy to use :D

There is now reason on earth to choose canon or nikon (except pro ones). All the cameras, even 7D or D7000 are worst than a65/a77, so definitely go with the Sony one.

The sensor is almost the same as Nikon D7000 with same performance in terms of quality and ISO.

No doubt it's a lil more expensive than your list but D7000 is a pure satisfaction, I know because I've tried all.  D7000 can compete with a semi-pro level DSLR at an entry level's price !

I'd say you're looking at the wrong manufacturers but... For video, go with the D5100. For stills, the Sony is better.

If you want the absolute best of both, then the K-5 from Pentax is your camera. The only aspect where its not so good is that you can't use autofocus in video mode... if that's important to you, then look at the K-30. No external mic. input, but it does amazing AF in movie mode.

I would say go to the store & try all the cameras in hand. Play with their menu setting, take some picture & compare the end result both in terms of feelings & picture quality.

Nikon D5100 is slightly superior in taking pictures compared to Canon 600D as it can handle higher ISO's, has Chromatic aberration correction & few other things which makes its image quality overall superior to Canon. I would say Sony is about the same as Nikon but to be honest at ISO 100 - ISO 3200, I personally liked results from Sony A57 the best followed closely by Canon 600D & then Nikon D5100. (I know it is subjective bias but you may end up feeling the same). Only after pixel peeping (or if you have very sharp eyes), you can see that Nikon enjoys arguably superior image quality but for 21-27 inch screen desktop, you will probably miss those little subtle edges. At ISO 6400 & above, Nikon D5100 is the winner followed by Sony & then Canon. So ask yourself, if you are going to make career out of doing night photography &/or in very dim lighting conditions on more regular basis then you will probably be best served by Nikon D5100 followed by Sony A-57. For occasional low light stuff, Canon 600D is more than capable & I have taken so many sample shots with almost no light successfully. Sony also has much more fps but if you don not plan to cover sporting events then there is really no use.

Although, Nikon D5100 has auto focus but it is sort of useless due to its slow speed. I does have some cool video effects but overall Canon has better video capabilities. Sony is probably even better as it has much faster & usable auto focus.

Ergonomics ... now this is something very personal & subjective. Try them in hand, you will either like the feeling or hate it. I hated Nikon D5100 as I have bigger hands. Loved Canon 600D & Sony A57. Due to Nikon's smaller size, I was unable to hold the camera comfortably & it resulted in introducing ever so slight blur in the pix. I also found its menu system bit frustrating. So despite Nikon being better at taking pictures (at least on paper), it ended up producing least stellar pics. 

So although Nikon D5100 had better picture quality (at least on paper), slightly cheaper & having 2 year warranty as opposed to 1 yr warranty for Canon & Sony, it ended up being eliminated. Sony was eliminated because there were only 2 shops selling it & it was much more expensive than Canon or Nikon & not to mention no one was carrying any selection of lenses besides the kit lenses that come with it. Ended up buying Canon 600D & to be honest, I haven't been disappointed. This camera takes lovely pictures comfortably till ISO 3200 & even ISO 6400 aren't half bad. I was worried in the beginning but trust me every camera has a learning curve. You will make mistakes in teh beginning, probably have a buyers remorse but as you delve deeper & learn more photography tips & tricks, you will start producing some wonderful stuff. Just look around the net for sample pics from Canon 600D or read user reviews. most of them are very happy.

PS: 

If you can afford more then go for Canon 650D. It have all the strengths of 600D & addresses all its shortcomings as well. Unfortunately, I could't afford any more otherwise that would have been my pick over 600D.

If Sony A-57 has strong presence in your area & good selection of lenses are available, then go for it. I know I would have if Sony's presence was stronger in my area. The real toss up for me would have been between Sony A-57 & Canon 650D if my my finances permitted & if Sony had better market presence in my area.

If Nikon D5100 fits comfortably in your hands then look no more. It is one of the best cameras in its class & truly bang for its buck.

If your situation is like me: limited budget, bigger hands, Sony's presence not strong then get Canon 600D. It might look like that I am saying get Canon 600D as a last choice but it is actually no slouch. It may not be class leading but it is truly satisfying camera & at any given day can give any DSLR run for its money. Check DP reviews, Cameralabs, imaging resource & others.

I own Canon 60D, though out of those 3 for image quality I'd choose the Nikon D5100 but seeing as Nikons current flock of DSLR's are going backwards in ergonomics I'd head for Canon and go for the newest Rebel T4i or even the Canon 60D. Both have articulating screens for shooting video and the T4i adds a touch screen. There's also the consideration that Canon has a great selection of lenses.